"Mac, I'll go talk to John and the others," Abigail said as she looked at Mike Walker.
"Of course. And besides, we still have plenty of time."
Mike smiled at Abigail's serious expression, nodded lightly, then turned around and headed toward Sadie Adler's room.
Watching Mike's back disappear, Abigail stood still for a moment, then walked toward Pearson's area.
Or rather, her real destination was beside Pearson's butcher table, the spot where Uncle was leaning lazily against a wooden board, holding a bottle of booze he must've lifted from somewhere, drinking himself senseless.
Since she had already made up her mind if things turned out exactly as Mike said then she would follow Mike's path to the very end.
And naturally, the more people with her, the better.
Aside from her husband John Marston, there was only one other person in the entire gang Abigail trusted deeply.
The man who saved her life once, and the one who introduced her to the Van der Linde gang in the first place:
Uncle.
And despite Uncle spending his days drinking, lazing around, claiming his back hurt, and doing absolutely nothing except eating…
Abigail knew the truth.
When Uncle was young, he had definitely been a dangerous man, a real killer even earning the nickname "One-Shot Kid."
If Uncle could stand on her side too, that would be perfect.
…
Unaware of Abigail's actions, Mike Walker went to find Sadie Adler after their conversation.
In his previous life playing the game, Sadie's bravery had left a deep impression on him especially because she was fiercely loyal.
But after a short talk, Mike felt a slight disappointment.
People grow step by step.
Maybe the Sadie Adler of the future will become the Valkyrie of the West, capable of gunfights, robberies, and bounty hunting with ease.
But right now?
Sadie was still just a widow having just lost her husband filled with confusion, fear of the future, and burning hatred for the O'Driscoll Boys.
And when Mike approached her, from her reddened eyes, he could tell she had probably been crying again not long ago.
Still, the brief conversation left Sadie with a good impression of Mike.
After all, back at Pleasance Village, Mike had made sure to go with Arthur and Dutch to her ranch…
And he was one of the people who pulled her starving and freezing out of the basement.
Knowing the kind of person Sadie becomes in the future, Mike believed she would eventually stand with him.
Of course, that relationship still needed to be nurtured.
"How are Davey and John's wounds?"
Just as Mike was thinking, a cabin door opened.
Arthur Morgan stepped out, cigarette in his mouth. Noticing Mike nearby, he asked:
"They're much better," Mike nodded.
"What about Dutch? Did he make up his mind to hit the train?"
"He did. Dutch wants you and Javier to come over we're going to go over the plan."
Watching Arthur breathe into his hands for warmth, Mike's mind stirred slightly, and he asked tentatively:
"Arthur… do you think Dutch's plan is really solid? Hosea and I both think it's too risky.
Sure, we're low on money but we're not at the point of starving. Things are just rough for now."
Earlier, Mike hadn't planned to approach Arthur for this.
Mainly because, at this point in time, Arthur wasn't exactly a good man and he followed Dutch with near-blind loyalty.
But blind loyalty didn't mean he had no mind of his own.
And Mike remembered clearly even in the early and late stages of the game Arthur had always had complaints about Dutch's actions.
"We just need to lay low. Everyone thinks so Hosea, John, Davey, Abigail…"
"We're not opposing Dutch. You understand that, right, Arthur?
We just want what's best for the gang. Things really aren't great for us right now we need Dutch to be more careful."
"And according to what we got from the O'Driscolls, the train has a large number of bearer bonds.
But we'd still need time to turn them into actual cash."
Mike guided Arthur's thoughts gently.
If Arthur, Hosea, and Mike all stood against Dutch's plan…
Dutch's authority would take a massive hit especially once the consequences came.
Arthur didn't know Mike's exact intentions, but he listened carefully and everything Mike said made perfect sense.
Yes they weren't rejecting Dutch.
They just wanted him to be cautious.
To make decisions that benefit the gang instead of risking everything again.
The gang had barely stabilized.
Why gamble everything immediately?
And the disaster at Blackwater proved:
Dutch's decisions weren't always right.
Besides bonds, not cash meant even if they got them, the gang wouldn't be financially saved right away.
They might even attract more Pinkertons.
If they could just survive this dangerous period… getting money later wouldn't be hard.
Guided by Mike's reasoning, Arthur grew more thoughtful, even worried.
Yes from a risk and reward standpoint…
Robbing Cornwall's train was far more dangerous than beneficial.